The Return of Jafar
The Return of Jafar (also known as''' Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar') is a 1994 American animated film that is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1992 animated film Aladdin, both produced by The Walt Disney Company. The film was released on May 20, 1994 and serves as the first episode of the Aladdin animated series. Culled from material originally intended for the first five episodes of the Aladdin TV series, The Return of Jafar was the first Disney direct-to-video animated feature release. Another Aladdin direct-to-video sequel, Aladdin and the King of Thieves, followed in 1996. The film was the first American animated direct-to-video project released. In the film, Jafar escapes from confinement and returns to Agrabah to gain his revenge against Aladdin and his companions, Princess Jasmine, Genie, Abu, Carpet, the Sultan and Iago (now turned against Jafar). Plot A clan of bandits, led by the incompetent Abis Mal, return to their hideout, only to have the brunt of their loot stolen by Aladdin and Abu. Aladdin distributes the treasure amongst the poor of Agrabah - with the exception of a jewel flower, which Aladdin gives to Jasmine. Meanwhile, in the desert, Iago manages to dig himself and Jafar's genie lamp out of the sand, where they were exiled by the Genie. Afar orders Iago to release him, but Iago rebels against Jafar and throws the lamp into a nearby well. He returns to Agrabah, hoping to gain favor with Aladdin, in order to return to the palace. When he encounters Aladdin, his claim of being a slave under hypnosis does not fare well and is pursued. Aladdin runs into Abis Mal and his bandits, but is inadvertently rescued by Iago. Aladdin returns to the palace and jails Iago, promising to allow a fair trial. He and Jasmine are greeted by the Genie, who has returned from seeing the world and is content with staying with his friends. At a special dinner held in Aladdin's honor, the Sultan announces that he wants to make Aladdin his new grand vizier. Trying to draw on the good mood, Aladdin attempts to persuade the Sultan to forgive Iago, but Iago inadvertently ruins the dinner when Rajah chases him into the room. The Sultan and Jasmine are furious at Aladdin, and Jasmine leaves the room heartbroken that Aladdin did not trust eve her about this. With Iago's help, though, Jasmine eventually reconciles with Aladdin. While Abis Mal is washing himself at a well, he sees Afar's lamp and when he and rubs it, Jafar appears as an abominable genie. Despite being bound by the laws of obedience, Jafar manipulates his master into wasting his first two wishes, but forms an alliance to the end of exacting revenge upon Aladdin. The pair travel to Agrabah, where Jafar reveals himself to Iago and coerces him into complying with his schemes. The next day, Aladdin and the Sultan depart to have a discussion about Iago's fate, while Jafar confronts the Genie and Abu in the Palace gardens and imprisons them. As Aladdin discusses with the Sultan, he is ambushed by Abis Mal, who is supported by Jafar's sorcery. The Sultan is kidnapped and Aladdin thrown into the raging river. Jafar frames Aladdin for the assumed death of the Sultan and has him sentenced to death. Iago decides to side with Aladdin's friends by releasing the Genie to save Aladdin. Once everyone is freed, Aladdin decides to destroy Jafar, which could only occur by destroying his lamp. Jafar and Abis Mal celebrate Aladdin's death, but Jafar demands to be set free. Abis Mal, however, hesitates, and even after Jafar bribes him with mountains of treasure, he still refuses to set Jafar free, out of concern that Jafar's rewards will vanish and aware that Jafar could not harm him. Aladdin attempts to steal the lamp, but is discovered and he and Abis Mal are blown out of the throne room into the palace garden by Jafar. Aladdin, Jasmine, the Genie, Abu and Carpet engage Jafar in combat, but even when bound by the rules of the Genie, he easily outmatches them, using his tremendous powers to prevent them from obtaining the lamp. His indiscriminate use of power opens a fissure in the ground which is filled with magma, trapping Aladdin, Jasmine, the Genie and Abu. However, Iago arrives and grabs the lamp and is wounded by Jafar. Iago kicks the lamp into the magma before being rendered unconscious. The lamp melts and submerges, and Jafar is destroyed once and for all. Aladdin rescues Iago and flees the fissure as Jafar's power vanishes and everything is restored to normal before Iago awakens. Iago is welcomed to the palace as a trusted friend and slowly recovers from his wounds. Aladdin announces to the Sultan that he is not yet ready to become a grand vizier, because he first wants to see the world. Jasmine declares that she will join him, but Iago objects to this. Meanwhile, Abis Mal is stuck in a tree and realizes that he will never have his third wish. Cast * Scott Weinger as Aladdin (sung by Brad Kane) * Jonathan Freeman as Jafar * Gilbert Gottfried as Iago * Dan Castellaneta as Genie * Linda Larkin as Princess Jasmine (sung by Liz Callaway) * Jason Alexander as Abis Mal * Frank Welker as Abu and Rajah * Val Bettin as Sultan * Jim Cummings as Razoul * Jeff Bennett as Thief * B.J. Ward as Street Mother Graphic differences from the first movie * In this film, the Genie has the bracelets, despite the end of the first film they were removed, being released from the lamp. * On Jafar's dress, the prevails is red, while in the first film it was black. * The flying carpet is no longer on the computer. * In the first movie, Jafar's snake stick has its mouth closed until the latter becomes a wizard and the mouth becomes open, while in the second movie, although Jafar is always a wizard genie, the mouth is again closed. Songs * Arabian Nights (performed by Brian Hannan) * I'm Looking Out for Me (performed by Gilbert Gottfried) * Nothing in the World (Quite Like a Friend) (performed by Dan Castellaneta, Brad Kane and Liz Callaway) * Forget About Love (performed by Gilbert Gottfried, Liz Callaway and Brad Kane) * You're Only Second Rate (performed by Jonathan Freeman) * It's a Small World After All Trivia * Robin Williams was not a part of this movie due to a disagreement with Disney (see trivia for Aladdin (1992). * The Genie lost his cuffs (the mark of his imprisonment) in the Aladdin (1992), but he wears them in both sequels and the Aladdin (TV series) (1994) TV show because he ''looks better with them on. * Disney's first direct-to-video sequel. * Walt Disney Television Animation Australia animates the first 34 minutes of the film. However, when Abis Mal jumps over the palace walls, the animation switches to Walt Disney Animation Japan and its support studios and stays that way for the duration of the film. * The lyrics to the version of Arabian Nights heard in this film were lifted from the original demo version of the song. * For unexplained reasons, Douglas Seale never reappeared to do the voice of the Sultan in this film and the sequels, series, etc. to Aladdin (1992), and therefore was replaced by Val Bettin. * The first time the Captain of the Guards' name is mentioned. He was named Rasoul after Disney artist Rasoul Azadani. * Due to box office failure of The Rescuers Down Under (1990) (a theatrical Disney animated sequel in 1990) The Return of Jafar (1994) was released on home video in May of 1994 instead of being released in theaters, in addition to the fact that Animated Theatrical Films would take 3-5 years to work on, compared to Direct-to-Video Films which take less than 2 years. * In the first film, the pattern design for Carpet was very detailed. Most likely due to the daunting task of animating something so elaborate, his design was simplified for this and future Aladdin films (Including the animated series). * Originally planned as a television special but later Disney decided to make it a direct-to-video sequel to Aladdin (1992). * Genie's laugh when being a jack in the box as a joke played on Iago was a joke taken on the way Krusty the Clown's laugh sounded in Simpsons (1989). Krusty the Clown was also voiced by Dan Castellaneta. * Originally, Jafar was going to turn into a giant cobra snake like in the first Aladdin (1992), but the idea was scrapped, since the producers wanted a different sort of showdown. * One of the voices Genie does in the Song Nothing in the World sounds like Rich Texan from Simpsons (1989), also voiced by Dan Castellaneta. International releases * United States: May 20, 1994 * United Kingdom: January 31, 1995 * Brazil: March 8, 1995 * Italy: March 22, 1995 * Sweden: April 25, 1995 * Finland: April 26, 1995 * France: May 4, 1995 * Japan: March 20, 1997 * Belgium: 2004 International titles * Brazil: O Retorno de Jafar * Bulgaria: ? * Czech Republic: Jafaruv návrt * Croatia: Povretak Jafara * Denmark: Jafar vender tilbage * Finland: Jafarin paluu * France: Le retour de Jafar * Germany: Dschafars Rückkehr * Greece: I epistrofi tou Jafar * Hungary: Aladdin és Jafar * Iceland: Jafar snýr aftur * Italy: Il ritorno di Jafar * Japan: アラジン ジャファーの逆襲 (Arajin Jafaa no gyakushu) (Jafar's counterattack) * Malaysia: Kepulangan Jafar * Netherlands: De wraak van Jafar * Norway: Jafar vender tilbake * Poland: Aladyn: Powrót Dzafara * Portugal: O Regresso de Jafar * Russia: ? * Serbia: Aladin 2 - Povratak Dzafara * Slovakia: Jafarov návrat * Spain: El retorno de Jafar * Sweden: Jafars återkomst International dubs For information about international dubs, The Return of Jafar/International. Category:1994 films Category:1990s American animated films Category:American musical films Category:Films produced by Tad Stones Category:Films produced by Alan Zaslove Category:Films directed by Tad Stones Category:Films directed by Alan Zaslove Category:Disney Princess Category:Direct-to-video sequel films Category:American sequel films Category:DisneyToons Studios animated films Category:Walt Disney Television Animation Category:Disney direct-to-video films Category:Walt Disney Animation Australia Category:Walt Disney Animation Japan